Israel Managed Qatari Funds to Gaza, Documents Reveal

An investigation by Time magazine, based on documents and correspondence between Israeli and Qatari officials, has revealed that Israel not only approved the transfer of approximately $2 billion from Qatar to the Gaza Strip over more than a decade, but also managed the distribution mechanisms and pushed for their continuation even during periods of military escalation. The revelation comes at a time when Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is attempting to distance himself from the policy of transferring Qatari funds to Gaza, a policy considered one of the most controversial during his tenure. Netanyahu's office declined to comment on the investigation's findings, according to Israeli Channel 13.

According to the documents, the Netanyahu government approved a mechanism in 2012 that gave Israel a direct role in managing Qatari aid, including determining its uses, from fuel and food to selecting Palestinian families receiving $100 monthly cash assistance. In 2018, a trilateral agreement was signed between Israel, Qatar, and the United Nations to regulate the funding under Israeli supervision.

Israeli officials actively sought the continuation of Qatari transfers, despite public criticism of Doha's funding of Hamas. In 2020, former Mossad Chief Yossi Cohen sent a thank-you letter to the Emir of Qatar, Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, praising the aid for improving the humanitarian situation in Gaza and enhancing regional stability and security. In the same year, a representative from the Israeli National Security Council urged Qatar to continue transfers through Qatari Ambassador Mohammad Al-Emadi, according to the correspondence.

The policy persisted despite internal Israeli objections. In 2018, Naftali Bennett, then Minister of Education, described the money transfers as "tribute," but he did not halt the aid flow when he became Prime Minister in 2021. He did, however, stop cash transfers in suitcases, while maintaining the broader aid mechanism, the investigation found.

In 2023, Qatar sought to change the funding mechanism to reduce civilian dependence on Hamas or Israel for financial flows. However, the Netanyahu government insisted on the existing mechanism. Documents show that Mossad Chief David Barnea traveled to Doha two weeks before the October 7th attack, requesting a two-month extension of the funding, based on an Israeli assessment that continued funds would give Hamas "what to lose," potentially acting as a deterrent. Qatar agreed to the extension, noting it would be the last.

Following the October 7th attack, Qatar rejected accusations that its funds financed the assault. A spokesperson for Qatar's International Government Communication Office told Time that the financial aid was directed to civilians through mechanisms coordinated with and passed through Israeli authorities. The spokesperson added that Israel bears responsibility for any funds reaching unintended recipients, as it supervised the supplies and helped establish the mechanism. A diplomat familiar with the matter told the investigation that Israel vetted and approved the list of beneficiaries. A former Israeli security official described the policy as a "failure" with Netanyahu at its center, and his government responsible for its management. Critics argue the Qatari funds strengthened Hamas and weakened the Palestinian Authority, serving a political agenda to prevent a Palestinian state. Netanyahu, however, denied this in a 2024 interview with Time, stating the goal was to ensure civilian administration in Gaza and prevent chaos and disease. Netanyahu's office did not comment on the latest investigation, leaving the claims about the policy's objectives and consequences as a subject of political dispute, along with questions about the responsibility of those who approved and oversaw the funding mechanism.